In Italy, bells tolled in church towers and flags were lowered to half-staff on government buildings in Rome. View on ...

The death of a pope, and the election of a new pontiff, is adorned with high ritual and elaborate ceremony. For more about how the Catholic Church will celebrate and mourn Pope Francis, and what comes ...

In the last 18 months of his life, Pope Francis had a frequent ritual: He would call the lone Catholic church in the Gaza ...